The Catedral de Santa María in Cartagena stands as one of the most haunting and historically complex religious sites I've encountered in the Murcia region. Perched on Cerro de la Concepción in the old quarter, this medieval cathedral tells a story that spans centuries of glory, abandonment, and tragedy.

What strikes you first are the ruins themselves. The cathedral has been without a roof since the Spanish Civil War, when bombardments in 1936 destroyed the covering entirely. Walking through what remains, you can still make out the three-nave structure and side chapels, but it's the open sky above that defines the experience now. There's something deeply moving about seeing a place of worship exposed to the elements this way.

The building's history is as turbulent as its current state. Originally the seat of the Cartagena diocese until the 13th century, it lost its cathedral status when the bishopric moved to Murcia in 1291. The city never accepted this transfer, and for centuries petitioned Rome to restore their cathedral status. This explains why they later built the impressive Santa María de Gracia church nearby, hoping it might one day become their new cathedral.

What you see today isn't entirely medieval. After the original Gothic structure partially collapsed in the late 19th century, architect Víctor Beltrí essentially rebuilt it in neo-Romanesque style around 1900. During this reconstruction, workers discovered materials reused from the nearby Roman theater, highlighting how buildings here have been recycled across millennia.

The cathedral sits directly above part of Cartagena's Roman theater, which has been excavated and turned into a museum. A tunnel connects the theater museum to the cathedral area, creating an interesting archaeological complex. Some of the cathedral's stones actually came from the ancient theater, making this spot a palimpsest of Spanish history.

Before the Civil War destruction, the cathedral housed important artworks, including sculptures by Francisco Salzillo and a Gothic English alabaster altarpiece now in Madrid's National Archaeological Museum. The famous medieval Virgin of Rosell and other pieces were saved and moved to Santa María de Gracia.

Standing in these roofless ruins, you feel the weight of interrupted time. The cathedral remains protected as a Cultural Heritage Site, with restoration plans that never quite materialize. An audio guide helps piece together what once was, but honestly, the stones themselves tell much of the story.